Filling teeth



(No Model.) a 0'. H. LAND.

. FILLING TEETH. No} 375,167. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

WITNESSES 1% j Ww. W

.dttorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. LAND, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FlLLlNG TEETH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,167, dated December20, 1887.

Application filed June 20, 1887. Serial No. 241,899. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. LAND, of Detroit, county of WVayne, Stateof Michigan, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Filling Teeth;and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a process for filling decayed teeth andrestoring the same to their normal shape, size, and color, and tocertain novel devices for accomplishing the same, as more fullyhereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the .drawings, Figure 1 represents a tooth having a cavity thereinready for filling. Figs. 2 and 3 represent different views of amatrixfitted to the cavity. Fig. 4. is a view of a filling fitted to saidmatrix. Fig. 5 illustrates the complete filling applied in the cavity ofthe tooth. Fig. 6 represents a modification illustrating a common formof cavity in a tooth. Fig. 7 represents a modification of the metallicplate being formed into a mold; Fig. 8, a filling fitted thereto. Fig. 9represents the filling applied to the cavity of the tooth illustrated inFig. 6. Fig. 10 shows a modification of my invention. Fig. 11 is asectional view showing the cavity partially filled with a soft filling,the matrix and section covering the same.

The object of my invention is, first, to provide a means for moldingvitreous or other suitable substance of indestructible nature intosections corresponding to the exact form of the lost portions of decayedteeth; second, to provide for this purpose a thin metallic ma trix byswaging or burnishing suitable metal into the cavity of the tooth whenproperly excavated, whereby a perfect impression of said cavity issecured; third, to produce, with this matrix as a mold,asolid section orplug of any desired material, which will correspond to the exact shapeof the cavity in the natural tooth; fourth, to secure in said cavity thesaid section or plug by means of suitable cements; fifth,

to properly shape a plug or section by a matrix as a mold, and tosubsequently secure the plug or section in the cavity without theintervening matrix; sixth, to employ the mold or matrix as a support;the plug being secured thereto and both secured in the cavity of thetooth; seventh, the construction of matrices of various forms asarticles of manufacture; eighth, to produce a partial fillingof thecavity with a soft filling, the matrix covering the same and terminatingat and defining the outer edges of the cavity; ninth, to provide thematrix with pins to engage in the soft filling on the one side and withthe material of the plug or section upon the other, if desired.

In the drawings, A represents a tooth; A, a cavity excavated thereinready for filling.

A represents a metallic matrix formed by swaging or burnishing a thinmetallic substance into the cavity, so as to securea perfect impressionthereof. In forming this matrix I prefer to employ platinum, althoughgold or silver or other material may be employed, if preferred, withoutdeparting from the princi- .ple of my invention, as I do not contemplateconfining myself to any particular substance from which to form thematrix.

I design to employ in some cases, wherever found desirable, pins or a,engaged with the matrix, the pins being preferably provided with heads.The matrix being thus constructed is filled with any suitable plasticmaterial-such, for instance, as porcelain, rubber, glass-porcelain beingpreferred. I do not limit myself to any particular substance to bemolded into the matrix. In this manner the plastic material is thusmolded into indestructible sections, as A, corresponding perfectly tothe cavity impressed upon the matrix. The section may then be cemented.into the matrix, and both in turn cemented into the cavity, thusaffordinga very efficient and desirable filling therefor.

In the employment of porcelain and certain forms of rubber they may bemodified in color, so as to approach the shade of the naturaltooth,while at the same time they will takea polish, and will be alsovery durable, the porcelain filling with the platinum matrix presentingthe greatest advantages, and are therefore the most desirable. The thinpiece of annealed platinum plate may be readily swaged into the cavityof the tooth, and thus a most perfect impression of the outlines of saidcavity be obtained. Any surplus edges of the plate may be readilytrimmed off. The pins are preferably made of platinum, if employed, puregold-leaf being used for solder in attaching them to the mold. Pins mayalso be engaged with the mold to serve to more firmly retain theporcelain or other filling in engagement therewith.

In the formation of the section porcelain paste or body is built intothe matrix, and may be readily carved or modified to imitate theoriginal contour of the exterior of the lost portion of the tooth. Theymay then be fused in the ordinary manner. Thus, when completed, eachsection will be a reproduction in porcelain or other material of thelost part of the natural tooth,which, if shaded in color, will resemblenature with a very great degree of perfection. I

Instead of swaging or burnishing the matrix into the entire cavity ofthe tooth said cavity may first be partially filled with a soft filling,a as shown in Fig. 10, the matrix and plug illustrated in Figs. 2, 3,and 4 being constructed for such application, and thus the matrix may beburnished or swaged to exactly fit the the outer edges of the toothabout the cavity. lVhen the matrix with its adherent section is thusready for application to the natural tooth, the soft filling is applied,when pins upon the matrix may be readily embedded therein and the matrixpressed into place,any surplus of soft filling oozing out about theedges of the matrix and the matrix being cemented upon adjacent portionsof the tooth.

By the use of soft filling for a portion of the cavity the pins may bereadily embedded therein, while at the same time labor is saved infitting the matrix, as it need only be fitted around the exterior edgesof the cavity, a less quantity of material for the sections or plugbeing also required.

Instead offorming a matrix, the metallic plate swaged or burnished tofit the cavity, or a portion thereof, may constitute a mold, A, asindicated in Fig. 7.

The filling orsection,when fitted to this mold as before described, maybe separated therefrom,and as the mold is very thin the plug may becemented or engaged in thecavity of the tooth without the mold, themetallic plate simply serving, to form a mold for the formation of thefilling or plug. In this case no pins will be necessary in connectionwith the mold, the filling or section being engaged with the tooth. Thismodification is illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Various matrices may be made by a series of dies which will approximatecertain variously-shaped cavities in different kinds of teeth. Matricesso formed may be put upon the market as articles of manufacture,and thenwhen it is desired to fill a cavity approximatelyshaped matrices may beselected, which, with a little additional swaging or burnishing, may bemade to exactly fit the contour of the cavity and considerable work bethereby saved, as the matrix at the outset is approximatel y shaped tothe cavity. The plastic material may be then fitted upon the matrix andthe process of filling completed.

Instead of employing pins engaged with the matrix, loops a, oreountersinks a,will serve the same purpose, as shown in Fig. 10.

What I claim is 1. The process of securing an impression of a cavity ina decayed tooth by means of a thin plate of suitable metal fitted tosaid cavity, substantially as described.

2. The process of restoring decayed teeth, consisting, first, ofsecuring the impression of the cavity in a decayed tooth by means of athin plate of metal fitted into said cavity and forming a mold ormatrix; second, in molding into said matrix a plastic material to form asection or plug, and, third, securing said section or plug into thecavity of the natural tooth, substantially as described.

3. The process of restoring decayed teeth, consisting of, first,securing an impression of the cavity of a decayed tooth by means of athin plate of metal fitted into said cavity and forming a matrix;second, of molding a plastic material into said matrix to form a sectionor plug; third, securing said section or plug upon the matrix, and,fourth, securing both the matrix and its adherent section or plug intothe cavity of the natural tooth, substantially as and in the mannerdescribed.

4. The process of restoring decayed teeth, consisting of securing theimpression of a cavity in a decayed tooth by means of a thin plate ofmetal to form a matrix; second, to provide said matrix withengaging-pins, loops, or countersinks; third, to mold into said matrix aplastic substance to form a section or plug; fourth, engaging saidsection or plug upon a matrix, and, fifth, securing said matrix,with itsadherent section or plug, into the cavity of the natural tooth,substantially as described.

5. The process of restoring decayed teeth, consisting of, first,partially filling the cavity to cover an exposed pulp as a protection;second, securing the impression of the cavity by means of a thin plateof metal fitted to said cavity to form a matrix; third, molding aplastic substance into said matrix to form a section or plug,and,fourth,securing theformed plug or section in the cavity, substantially as andin the manner described.

6. The combination, substantially as described, of a matrix and asection or plug, said matrix provided with engaging devices upon bothsides for securing the section or plug to the matrix, and the matrix tothe tooth, substantially as described.

IIO

7. The herein-described process of shaping I molded and while yet in themold to form said a filling substance into the exact shape of a section,substantially as described. 10 cavity of a decayed tooth to form asection, In testimony whereof Isign this specification consisting,first, of fitting a thin sheet of metal in the presence of twowitnesses.

into said cavity to form a mold; second, re- CHARLES H. LAND. movingsaid sheet, and causing said filling sub- Witnesses:

stance to conform to the same as a mold, and, N. S. WRIGHT,

third, hardening said filling substance when VVELLs W. LEGGETT.

